


Altea: Mermaid Rehabilitation Facility

by orphan_account



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: F/F, Fluff and Angst, Lance (Voltron) Has ADHD, Light Angst, M/M, Pining, Slow Burn, mermaid rehab au, nymallura established relationship, they help mermaids walk and do a bunch of human stuff so they can live on land !!!!!!!!!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-17
Updated: 2017-08-20
Packaged: 2018-12-03 05:52:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 13,712
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11525883
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: a voltron mermaid rehab au. the gang helps mermaids learn how to walk and do other human things, and just try and help mermaids live on land.





	1. A Break

The sun beat down upon the coastal line, the humidity high and the heat even higher. Although it was a normal temperate for Allura to feel, it was too hot for it to still be spring, and yet wasn’t even close to summer. She smiled slightly as she stretched, looking out onto the ocean, its dark blue waves glittering underneath the sun. The air, no matter how humid, was fresh and clear, offering a wave of calm to pull over her. It was the mood and attitude that Allura needed.

She pushed herself up from the ground, checking her phone to see the time. It was 30 minutes before breakfast and 15 until the access bay was to be opened, allowing for new mermaids to become members of Altea Rehab, facility that she owned alongside Coran.

She moved towards the door of the building, the exterior was modern and sleek, being a cool grey. The glass doors opened as she approached, allowing her to be met by cool air as she entered. Allura picked up her clipboard that resided on the table next to the coffee machine, before she walks towards the group of her main staff, who were sitting on the couches in the foyer.

“Alright everyone,” Allura cleared her throat, her arms crossed over her clipboard, pushing it close to her chest, before she sat on the arm of the chair that was currently occupied by Nyma, who offered her a sweet smile, “is everything running smoothly?”

“We have 30 open rooms at the moment, and we will have 10 residents leaving later in the day,” Coran chimed in, standing next to Allura, his arms placed behind his back in a respectful manor “We have 15 reservations made today, so there should be no overflow for us to worry about, princess.”

“Good, thank you Coran,” Allura smiled up towards her co-owner before allowing her gaze to fall upon the other workers.

“Well, everyone is doing flawless in my class, as per usual, and that is what happens when you have such a good teacher after all. I suspect that we’ll have some graduates from me today,” Lance leaned back on the couch, shooting a quick wink in Allura’s direction as he took a sip of some coffee. In response, Allura snorted, giving him an eyeroll.

“Let us hope so, Lance. And please tell me you don’t flirt with all your students? It’s quite immature,” Allura gave him a short, disappointed glance before moving on, making it so he could not interject, “Hunk, is everything working just fine for you?”

“Yes, I was able to fix the air-conditioning yesterday, and it seems that it was just in time too. Its boiling outside,” Hunk beamed, his smile being infectious.

“You are dismissed to go back to the kitchen. I also need you to check out the southwest elevator. It apparently got stuck yesterday.” With the mention of the elevator, Keith and Lance shared a look, remember the events of the night before were not pleasant.

“I’ll be right on it, Allura,” Hunk smiled, standing and heading towards the kitchen.

“All of the computer systems are in order, and everyone is getting the hang of reading and writing, and basic technology operation is going good as well,” Pidge spoke blandly as she stared at her phone, one earbud in, “I also got the footage of the elevator yesterday when it broke. The light didn’t turn off, the elevator had just stopped moving.”

She looked up, her eyes piercing as she smirked. Her eyes landed on Lance at once, seeing the horror that filled his gaze filling her with amusement. “I’m sure if I show Hunk the video he’ll be able to find the source of the problem.”

“Excellent work Pidge! You can show him after breakfast,” Allura looked down at her clipboard, writing down a few notes, “Shay, has there been any injuries that have needed any major attention?”

“Only the normal types, no sever bleeding, someone had a stomach ache, some kids needed band aides. That sort of thing.”

“Has there been any need for any prescriptions? Anything running low?” Allura questioned, not lifting her eyes p as she quickly scribbled words onto paper.

“More pain relievers would be good, and we have discovered that a few people need inhalers,” Shay spoke calmly as she reached into her bag, pulling out a folder filled with medical information, “there’s also a prescription for birth control in there. Everything else is going fine.”

“Thank you, Shay,” Allura smiled as she grabbed the folder, quickly skimming through the names, writing down there needs, before passing the medical records towards Nyma, who excepted them graciously.

“Everything with me and Keith are going fine. There’s been no problems or major injuries this week. Driving is still just as terrifying as ever,” Shiro shuttered, licking his lips as he thought about all the times he had almost crashed in that convertible.

“Perfect! Thank you Shiro. You’re all dismissed, except for Rolo and Nyma, of course.” Allura took in a deep breath, her nose being filled with Nyma’s vanilla scented lotion. She smiled, looking down towards her girlfriend. Her pretty face splotched with pale spots over her brown skin, her purple eyes glowing as she smiled.

Allura felt blood rise into her face, resisting the urge to slip into Nyma’s lap, wrap her arms around her neck and plant several kisses over her face. She believed it an inappropriate coarse of action, considering current company and the fact that Allura was working.

She cleared her throat, pulling her eyes away from Nyma for a moment, turning her attention towards Rolo. Allura flipped through a few pages on her clipboard, tearing it out, and giving it to Rolo. “Those are all of the things I need you to pick up today. Nyma has the medical records for the prescriptions.”

“Got it,” Rolo flashed a smile quickly, before advancing towards the door, going out of site. The second he was gone, Nyma planted a kiss on Allura’s cheek, giving her hair a tiny twirl.

“I’ll see you later, babe,” Nyma stood, planting another kiss upon Allura’s temple, letting the lock of hair fall from her in-between her finger tips.

“Dinner tonight. Just you and me, I promise, love. Have fun,” Allura felt her heart explode as Nyma gave a cute laugh, before turning to go to work. Allura felt a smile plant itself on her face, growing evermore as her brain processed everything that had just occurred.

She took in another deep breath, Nyma’s lotion still lingered in her nose as Allura cleared her throat, trying to bring herself back into the professional atmosphere.

She stood, allowing herself to wander towards the access bay, the smell of the ocean filling her nose as she came closer, the sound of Coran’s voice filling her ears as he gave out instructions on how to use a wheelchair, the purpose of this rehab and the different genres of the things that will be taught, as well as the food schedule for the week.

The bay door opened, and Allura greeted the group with a smile, passing out room keys as she brought them towards their rooms. She repeated the process several times, and yet each moment was refreshing, as she heard their astonishment and excitement to be in her work place, in her home.

After the work at the access bay, Allura made her rounds with her staff, making sure that they were completing their jobs, before she began to check in on the residents, making sure they were enjoying their time, or if there was anything that they needed. She took notes from each person, thanking them kindly. She made sure to bring up the suggestions in the meeting, as well as report to Hunk on anything that was broken, and to Pidge if any computers had glitches.

The day was going quite smoothly for Allura, no trouble seemed to arise, which meant that she had time to relax. Relaxation. That word seemed so distant and foreign, nothing had ever given Allura a break in her entire life.

Ever since her father’s death, she had a weight placed on her shoulders. This place was her home, her work, and now it was her property. Her responsibility left her no time to grieve except in bed at night, her tears being the only thing that could allow her to sleep.

The night after Alfor, her father, died, was the night she fell in love with Nyma.

Nyma had delivered her flower in the middle of the night and Allura was too broken, the tears had spilled down and she collapsed, breathing heavily against Nyma’s chest. Her loving embrace, her kind smile and mischievous eyes had Allura captivated as she struggled to breath. There was no barrier of emotion, there was no high composure that Allura held. She was just a girl who had experienced a great lost, a girl who scared and fell in love with the girl who comforted her.

It was a different time, and now they were together, and Alfor was a world and a life away. Allura dealt with it as well as she could. Sometimes she still cries at night, craving to feel his warm hug and his overly sweet smile.

Relaxing. That’s what she should be doing, not reminiscing on a past that she cannot change. Not about how such a giant tragedy could bring something so beautiful out of it. She just wanted to appreciate her break while she still had one, because they normally did not last for her.


	2. Emergency Whip Cream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith & Lance try to forget what happened in the elevator the night before. Lance learns something about himself.

Lance covered his face as he leaned back on the white brick interior of the kitchen. He groaned, allowing for his hands to fall. Yesterday wasn’t pleasant, last night, to be exact. Being trapped inside an elevator with Keith was odd and awkward, even though it didn’t need to be, but god, he was not feeling it today. Especially since Pidge _and_ Hunk both knew what happened. The worst part was probably the teasing that fallowed.

“You jumped into his arms, Lance. You got cradled like a little baby!” Hunk gave him a shrug as passed out meals with a smile. He received ‘thank you’ & ‘bless you, sir’s as they passed, “What do you want me to do with this information? Forget it?”

“Uhh yea, actually. That would be really nice,” Lance huffed, pulling his legs up as he buried his face in knees. “I was scared! It was sudden, okay? I thought that it was like, ghosts or something.”

Hunk gave out a small laugh, before offering a sheepish smile. “Alright, I’ll try. But you better not be awkward around Keith. It’s not something to be ashamed of, ya know? We all get scared.”

“I’ll try, but I won’t make any promises,” Lace readjusted himself, allowing it so he could swing his legs over the edge of the counter he was perched on. He let out a sigh, embarrassment creeping in on his throat.

“You jump into my arms when you’re scared all the time, so I don’t get it?” Hunk shot him a quick glance before going back to passing out breakfast.

“it’s different with you. You’re my best friend! It’s just that it was- “  
“Hey Keith,” Hunk gave a tiny wave as the door opened, as Keith slipped through. Keith gave him a tight smile, before his eyes made their way over to Lance. His eyes stopped, their eyes meeting for just a moment before Keith spoke.

“Hunk watched the video already, didn’t he?” He crossed his arms, propping himself up next to the counter Lance was sitting onto of. Keith bit into an apple as he met Lance’s eyes one again.

“Yeah. He did,” Lance spoke quietly, looking down at his fingers, making sure to avoid eye contact.

“Okay,” Keith spoke calmly, a small breath escaping through his nose. “Were still cool though, right?”

“When have we ever been cool, exactly?” Lance turned his body in Keith’s direction, placing his hands in his lap.

Keith huffed, “you know what I mean. Were back to normal.” His eyes lingered on lance, his eyebrows knitted tightly in, what Lance assumed to be, frustration. He took another bite of the apple, this time seeming to be more agitated and aggressive.

“Did you wash the apple first, Keith?” Hunk interrupted, his face engraved with concern.

“Um, no. I’m assuming your supposed too.” Keith played with the apple in his hand, tossing it up into the air. “But, Lance, are we gonna be okay?”

He looked at Lance once again, his eyes glimmering with an unknown substance. Lance looked back, his ears turning pink from the embarrassing memory that they had shared. He took in a short breath, his legs swing in front of him, calm his nerves slightly.

“Yeah, of course. I mean it wasn’t a big deal,” Lance gave a smile that was too sweet. It was a big deal. It was awkward. It was weird, and he was trying to fake it to make things appear better than they were.

Keith grinned, breathing out a chuckle. His smile showed his front teeth, slightly, only the tiniest bit being bared. “Good.”

He took another bite of his apple, giving off a small wave towards Hunk, tossing his apple in the trash and leaving the kitchen.

Lances eyes followed him as Keith left, a weight being lifted off his shoulder. He let out a sigh, allowing his body fall onto the countertop as Hunk brought him a tray of food.

“You’re having a panic attack, aren’t you?” Hunk sat down at the edge of the counter top, as Lance put his head on Hunk’s lap. He took several deep breathes, trying to calm himself down.

“Why was that so easy? I mean, I expected something so much more complicated. But not that?” Lance dragged his hands down his face.  His chest felt like it was burning, his eyes staring at the ceiling.

“Emergency whip cream?” Hunk shook a can of whip cream in front of Lance. Tape went around the whole can, with words written in sharpie that said ‘ONLY FOR EMERGANCIES’. Lance nodded, the desperation in his eyes as he clutched his chest.

Hunk shook the bottle again, shooting the whip cream into Lance’s mouth, as well as around his face, giving him bread. Lance closed his eyes, taking in more deep breathes.

“Who thought that Keith, of all people, could get you to act like this.” Hunk mused to himself, giving Lance’s hair a tiny twirl.

“I don’t know what you mean.”

That was a lie. Lance knew exactly what he meant. How sharing a simple moment with no barrier between them, could cause him to have a tiny anxiety attack. That Keith had the ability to make his head spin and his mouth dry.

_Stupid Keith. Stupid, cute, hot headed Keith._

“If you don’t want to talk about it, that’s okay. You should eat before you start your class.” Hunk slipped his thighs out from underneath Lance’s head, tossing him a towel and giving him his tray. Lance sat up, whipping the whip cream off his face, and started eating the pancakes that were placed in front of him.

“I don’t have a class in the morning today. I’ll tell Allura that I can start a new class tomorrow for anyone who has an empty schedule and hasn’t taken it already.”  Lance smiled towards Hunk, who was helping clean the dishes. “I’ll just tag along with you for the beginning, buddy.”

“Do you really want to go back to the scene of torment, “Hunk gave a mischievous look, one of the most terrifying Hunk forms. The form that will look through your diary unapologetically and prank you relentlessly. It was Hunk’s only dark side, and, depending on his mood, Lance’s favorite side.

“No, but who else do I have? I can’t hang out with Shiro, he does driving in the morning. I do not want to experience that mess. Pidge will tease me. I don’t know where Coran is, and Allura will make me clean and stuff,” He huffed, taking a bite of frustration out of his heavenly pancake.

Hunk gave a suggestive look, wiggling his eyebrows. Lance nearly choked as his did, swallowing his pancake harshly.

“Oh no, I’m not going to Keith. I don’t even know what his job is! Shiro always gives the reports to Allura. What if he’s teaching them how to do kick boxing and I end up being the test dummy?” Lance crossed his arms. Hunk laughed, smiling brightly towards him.

“Dude, Shiro does all of the exercise stuff. Keith literally teaches them how to walk.”

“Keith does the whom?” Lance licked his lips, his brain trying to wrap itself around the situation. Keith wasn’t patient enough for that. He surely would get frustrated, right? Lance looked out of the kitchen window, watching as Keith checked his phone. His hair hung in his face, the sun making his skin glow.

“His class is starting soon. I’m sure he’ll let you sit in. He lets me do it sometimes,” Hunk smiled kindly, giving Lance a tiny shove with his elbow.

“Uh huh,” Lance knitted his eyebrows together, his focus remaining on Keith. His mouth felt dry, the thought of Keith being so kind making his heart stutter. His breath continued to get caught, with every thought of Keith crossed his mind.

His legs started moving before his brain and his heart could protest, more nerves building up as he approached Keith. He stopped a foot away, tapping his shoulder to grab his attention. He turned around quickly, stumbling a step closer out of surprise, before taking a step back.

“Can I watch or like, help you with your class today? Well, your morning one. My morning class is finished and Hunk said he was busy and no one else is available and, I don’t know, I’m bored so, yeah.” Lance was internally hitting himself on the head. He was rambling. He felt blush run up into his face as he met Pidge’s eyes from across the room. She was smirking like a demon.

Keith followed his gaze, seeing Pidge, before turning back. “Sure. It’ll probably be boring for you, though. If you want to avoid Pidge, then it’s probably the best place. She may be smart, but she has zero sense of direction,” He shrugged looking back at his phone, checking the time. “we can probably head over know.”

Keith turned and began to head towards the doors of the café, and Lance follow quickly in suit, desperately wanting to get away from Pidge’s eyes. Sadly, that wasn’t the case, considering that his phone buzzed in his pocket.

 

**Demon Pidgeon**

_Wow u kno what lance?????? That’s pretty gay_

**Sharpshooter (  ͡° ͜ʖ ͡° )**

_U kno what Pidge?????? Meet me in THE PIT_

He breathed deeply, shutting his phone off and shoving it into his pocket. Keith shot him a small, quickly fading smile as they got into the elevator together.

“Some great memories in here, huh?” Lance snorted, leaning up against the elevator wall, trying to get as far away from Keith as he was allowed. He started bouncing his leg, not improving his elevator experience in the slightest. He felt around in his pockets, hoping to find anything that might help him stim. He had nothing. He probably lost it yesterday.

“Shit,” he quietly swore. Allowing his head to lean up against the wall, making him stare up at the roof.

“Were you looking for your stim toy?” Keith questioned, feeling around in his pockets until he pulled out a fidget cube. He walked over and dropped it in Lance’s hand. “You dropped it in the elevator yesterday. I kinda forgot about it until now,”

Heat rose in Lance’s face, his throat closing. They were standing close, in a tight space. No one else around. He could smell Keith’s clothes, how they smelled fresh, and how Keith smelled like lemongrass. And Lance liked it. _He liked the way Keith smelled._

All he could do was stare, his mouth not allowing him to say a sound, Keith didn’t move away, he flashed a small smile. “You do understand that I don’t hate you, right?”

The elevator door opened, and Keith quickly exited, Lance following subconsciously. The dawning realization was hitting Lance like a train. It was unnerving to understand that he was developing feelings, especially while still hanging out with the person he was starting to develop feelings for.

Keith turned around a corner, pulling out a pair of keys, unlocking the door and propping it open. Lance had never been in this area, he never really had time to explore it, nor has he ever felt the need too. The room looked similar to his nephew's, Benji, ballet studio.

The walls were covered with mirrors, bars lining ever wall, a small cabinet found in the corner. The floors were a light brown wood, and it had looked severely used, being covered in scratches and scuff marks from wheelchairs. It was pretty big, but that’s what you would expect for an area made to help teach people how to walk.

Keith opened the cabinet, pulling out a pack of water bottles, opening one and tossing another towards Lance, who barely caught it. He flashed his small smile, and Lance open the water and took a drink as quick as he could, hoping the suppress the flushing that had inflamed around his neck and ears. It didn’t help much.

Lance heard wheels on the wood, and looked over to see a pair of his students roll in. he gave both of them a wave. The little girl, named Lacya, pushed herself out of her father’s lap and stood before him in all of her pride and glory.

“Lance! I can stand! I told you I could!” She bared her teeth in a smile, showing off a small tooth gap. Lance laughed and clapped, running over and giving the girl a hug, “Keef is a really good teacher, just wait and see!”

She giggled slightly, opening her arms, asking for Lance to pick her up. Lance easily obliged, scoping her up quickly, causing her to giggle. “Were moving on to actual walking today!”  

“Oh really?” He watched as more people began to roll into the room, standing up from their wheelchairs, folding them, and then takin a seat on the floor. Lance was stuck in the corner, Lacya happily perched on his lap, humming happily to herself.

Lance was zoning out, honestly. His eyes kept landing on Keith as he gave instructions, his hand right hand fiddling with the cube in his pocket. He didn’t hear a word that he said, but it allowed to give him time to silently admire Keith as he spoke. He watched as Keith gently helped a mermaid to their feet, guiding them slowly over to one of the walls.

Gently. Keith was being gentle.

Lance couldn’t help but smile softly as Keith did his work, holding on to the person’s hand as they began an attempt to walk, showing how to move their feet, doing a few laps, giving short compliments, making slight suggestions, stopping any from falling over.

It was adorable and extremely sweet.

“Lance?” He was snapped back into reality by Lacya, who had turned in place to face him.

“Yes?”

“Is Keith your boyfriend?” lance choked as he heard her speak. He flushed, coughing.

“No. Were just friends.”

“Oh,” She spoke quietly, turning her attention back towards her dad and parent.

Lance looked at Keith, and their eyes met, for just a moment, and his heart flutter.

_Although I wouldn’t mind if he was._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i honestly thought this chapter would have been shorter?????? but honestly this was adorable, so its fine. I love???? Lacya? also her parent is non-binary, but uses he/him pronouns, so yea !!!!!!!


	3. Movie Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Altea has their annual movie night. Hunk gives Lance the support that he needs.

“Hunk, save me, please,” Lance plopped down on Hunk’s bed, the sheets that had been neatly placed over them scrunched around Lance as he dramatically laid down. He buried his face into the pillows, proceeding to screech into them. He felt the weight in the shift to the edge, but that didn’t stop him. His face felt hot, his heart unyielding as it bumped against his ribcage.

“God tonight is movie night, isn’t it?” Lance dropped the pillow from his face, a look of absolute terror etched into it. “I’m not going to live through this day.”

Lance dramatically collapsed, putting a hand on his forehead, before curling up into a ball. He took in deep breathes, closing his eyes.

“I can’t do it Hunk, I can’t! Not with- “ The name caught on the edge of his throat, causing him to choke it back. He let a breath go from his lips, “not with Keith there.”

Lance flushed, placing his head on knees, he laid there softly, heat beat slowing down, his nerves slowly escaping from him.

“I’m not gonna fake an illness for you every time you want to avoid a crush of yours, you know that, right?” Hunk put his hand on Lance’s shoulder, giving it a short and soft squeeze. Lance rolled over, allowing himself to look up at Hunk. He gave a solemn nod, sighing before he sat up.

“Then what do I do?”

“You do realize that you don’t have to sit next to him, or even look at him, right?”

“Yea, but I want to do those things, Hunk!” He cried out, Lance allowed his forehead to fall onto Hunk’s shoulder, groaning intensely. He pushed himself off quickly, his face being redder than ever.

“then do them. Keith is extremely dense, Lance. He probably won’t catch on, just try to be low key about it.”

Lance smiled slightly, nodding his head, “Yea, your right Hunk. I just gotta be chill. No problem.” He pushed himself up, looking reenergized and confident. “I’m gonna be fine.”

He, was in fact, the latter. Lance had to be dragged out of the room by Hunk, because his anxiety made it so his feet and brain wouldn’t function. He gave some minor rebellion, his heart screeching in his ears, struggling to get out of Hunk’s grp, but ended up complying as his brain went over every worst-case scenario. He was overthinking everything that could possibly happen, his mind replaying his wort fears, until he ended up thinking about something good. Reaching for Keith’s hand, and Keith not pulling away. Sitting next to him, resting his upon Keith’s shoulder. No resistance, Keith accepting Lance’s small attempts of physical affection. A mutual reciprocation of emotions.

Lance didn’t even notice that he had been pulled into the staff rec room, and sat down on a coach, Hunk seated to his left, and Keith seated at his right. His brain focused on the tiny and sweet scenarios playing in his mind. A smile and a light blush planted on his face as he looked off into the distance.

A shove of his left shoulder made him regain consciousness, causing him to look around, his eyes landing on Hunk first before looking over to his right, seeing Keith curled up on the edge of the couch next to him. His heart leapt out of his chest, thankful that the lights had shut off, and Big Hero Six started playing, allowing for his blush to be concealed.

His hands dug into Hunk’s arm, clutching it for support as his heart began to stumble. He was going die.

Keith looked at him, giving off a faint smile, and a tiny wave. Lance did the same, quickly turning his attention back towards the movie. He felt his phone buzz in his pocket, Lance looked around the room to see Pidge smirking, holding up her phone as she sat cross legged on a bean bag. Lance leaned in towards Hunk, pulling his phone out of his back pocket.

 

**Demon Pidgeon**

_So,,,,,,, ya gonna make a move or what. Fake yawn and Reach move????? Or ya gonna go for the popcorn and touch hand move,,,,,,,,, I need to kno_

**Sharpshooter (  ͡° ͜ʖ ͡° )**

_Rheguirehofiedfhdnh im dying pidge stfu_

 

**Demon Pidgeon**

_Oh???? So u like keef??????? Is this a confession???????_

 

**Hunklebun**

_Stop being an ass Pidge. Let the boy love_

 

Lance shut his phone off, slipping it back into his pocket. He let his arm fall from Hunk’s, and moved away slightly. _Just try to act natural_.

His anxiety, being as terrible as it may, also made him tired. He was exhausted, stressing about Keith all day had certainly did its number on him. He also didn’t get much sleep the night before, because, well, he had been locked in an elevator for the majority of it.

He yawned, allowing his head to fall on Hunk’s shoulder, his eyes slowly starting to shut. It did not take long for Lance to drift off, and Hunk, being the ultimate wing man, gently pushed Lance off his shoulder, allowing Lance’s head to fall peacefully on Keith.

Keith looked over in surprise, looking down as Lance slept silently upon his shoulder. Lance smelled like citrus, which was pleasant and not as overwhelming as Keith would have previously thought. He did not push Lance away, knowing that if Keith had woken him up, he would never hear the end of it.  

The movies had passed by quickly, Lance not moving away from Keith, and Keith doing the same. It was pleasant and enjoyable, even though Keith’s shoulder was now covered in drool.

He shifted slightly as the lights turned on, giving Lance a tiny shove, “Lance,” he spoke quietly, giving another shove, only causing Lance to squirm. Lance’s arms instinctively wrapped around Keith’s waist.

Keith removed them quickly, giving Lance another shove, but he still didn’t wake up. He looked towards Hunk for assistance. He only shrugged in response.

“Once he’s out, he’s out,” Hunk gave him a wave and a shrug, leaving the rec room, with Pidge in tow. Keith felt his anger rise in him, as he was left alone in the rec room, the only other person there being Lance.

He huffed, crossing his arms, glaring at Lance as he slept peacefully. Keith moved away, shifting his shoulder out from under Lance, catching his head before it could crash on the arm of the coach. He placed his head down gently, his hand slipping out from under his head.

Lance shivered, curling up into a ball. Keith sighed. He knew that it could get cold in rec room at night. He slipped off his jacket, draping it on top of Lance’s upper body.

Lance rapped himself in it immediately, a sleepy smile running across his face.  Keith let out a soft, quiet, laugh, before turning and leaving Lance to sleep.


	4. Dinner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nyma and Allura have a date

Allura smiled, her heart racing in her chest as she laid her eyes upon Nyma. She stood underneath a street light in front of the restaurant, her braids cascading down her back. Her eyes were searching around the parking-lot, until they meet Allura’s and a smile danced along her face.

They walked towards one another, meeting each other in the middle, giving a short embrace. “You look gorgeous, but that’s nothing new.” Nyma placed a kiss on her forehead, grabbing her hand and leading her indoors. Allura let out a tiny giggle, smiling and giving Nyma’s hand a squeeze.

They got seated quickly, giving kind smiles. This was one of their first dates, either the fifth or the fourth, and it still made Allura nervous. She wasn’t used to dating, or PDA, every tiny aspect that she told herself didn’t matter made herself conscious. She gave a weak smile, her eyes drifting around the room slowly.

Nyma seized at her hand, taking it from across the table, tracing tiny circles on the back of her hand. She smiled softly, trying to pull Allura’s attention away from her anxieties.

“I know that your nervous, ‘llura. I am too, but I’m able to look at you, and forget that I’m nervous. Because you are all that matters in this moment,” Nyma’s smile was bright and sweet, seeming as if it made the room lighter. A small blush ran along her cheeks, but it was enough to make Allura’s heart stop. She licked her lips in an attempt to speak, but no words came out. “Just look at me, okay?”

Allura laughed, he breath getting caught on her tongue, but nodded with a smile of endearment.

They placed their order for their meals quickly, giving off courteous when required. There was laughter in the air surrounding them, a bit of flirting thrown in from Nyma’s end, which ended up with Allura flushing severally and momentarily forgetting how to function, and it was fun overall.

The anxiety that Allura had felt previously had melted away, because there was only one thing she focused on. _Nyma_. And that is what made it great. Being around her.

The night came close to an end as they finished their meals and step outside the restaurant, to see that the sky was grey and rain poured down into the streets. They held hands and stepped out into the parking lot, being doused in rain, giggling as they walked together.

“This was amazing,” Allura giggled slightly, leaning in closer to Nyma as the rain began sinking into her clothes, the smell of rain and vanilla filling her nose. Nyma laughed in response, planting a kiss on her forehead.

They had made it over to Nyma’s car, and they stood there for a while, wishing that the night would go on, and that it would never end.

Nyma looked at Allura, her eyes growing soft as a tiny smile made its way along her lips. Allura returned it, letting a small giggle fall from her lips as her hands slowly grasped Nyma’s face, caressing her cheek as she leaned in. their lips touch the others, and both of the girls melted, Nyma’s arms wrapped themselves around Allura’s waist, pulling her body in closer as they kissed, being soaked under the midnight rain.

They broke apart slighting, Nyma planting simple pecks on Allura’s face and neck, causing her to laugh. Nyma flashed a small smile, as she untangled her arms, unlocking the car door.

“We need to do this more often, babe,” Nyma spoke softly, grasping Allura’s hand. Allura nodded, biting her lip before giving her one last kiss. Nyma smiled, wrapping a hoodie around Allura’s shoulders and pulling up the hood before hopping into the drivers’ seat and driving away.

Allura gave a small wave, her face flushing as she buried it into the hoodie. She took a few deep breathes before heading off in her own direction.


	5. Hoodies & Coffee

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance wakes up after falling asleep in the rec room and runs into some good company.

Lance yawned as he opened his eyes, rubbing them on the sleeve of his jacket as his eyes adjusted to the morning light. He blinked several times, looking around to see that he had fallen asleep in the rec room. He jolted up, scrambling through his pockets to find his phone was dead.

He slipped on the hoodie and bolted out the door, only to run in to fall into Keith. His hands had landed on his shoulders, two arms clasped lightly behind his back, sending a shudder down Lance’s spine.

Lance looked up, feeling heat rush to his neck and face, before pushing off and regaining his composure. He gave a sheepish smile, “hey buddy, my man, I’m not late for the staff meeting, am I?”

“No. I was just heading down there myself.”

“Cool, cool. I don’t need to be late every day, ya know? Being on time is a good thing” Lance smiled, it lasting a bit too long, before clearing his throat as he made his way down towards the elevator. With Keith in tow, Lance’s mind tried to focus itself on anything but him, but it was hard. Extremely hard. He could feel Keith looking at him, which could be a good thing.

_What if he’s checking me out?_

“So, you like what you see?” Lance turned giving a small wink, his heart exploding in his chest. He did not want to do that! He can barely look at the guy without blushing, and now he’s _flirting_ with him? His face was burning, embarrassment flooding his veins, and worst of all; _there was no escape._

“Um, what?” Keith questioned, his voice level and calm, an odd sort of tone for him to use. Lance felt a rush of relief, happy that Keith had not heard.

“Nothing, I was just gonna ask- “Lance brought his hand up to neck rubbing it in train of thought- “how your so patient with all of the mermaids, and yet, like, not patient everywhere else.”

“I don’t know. Maybe it’s because they haven’t been taught something and learning takes time, while everyone else just, knows stuff,” Keith shrugged, sighing slightly as they stopped in front of the elevator.

Lance chewed his bottom lip, his gaze landing softly as Keith leaned against the wall, running a hand through his hair. His heart skipped a beat, letting out a tiny gasp as Keith’s eyes searched around the hallway, before they landed on Lance, and they slowly made their way up his body until their eyes met. Keith held it, his eyes burning intensely with a soft intention. The elevator door opened, and lance quickly went inside, Keith not short to follow.

The trip down was short and silent, but it was not awkward or tense. Thy had stood close to each other, in the center of it. Lance enjoyed it. Standing next to him. Being close to him. It was natural.

The doors opened and they walked out together, heading over towards the staff room. When they had entered, Pidge looked up and choked as her eyes landed on Lance. He felt his face inflamed, hiding it to his best ability as he got coffee in the back of the room.

His phone buzzed in his pocket, but he was too tired to deal with Pidge’s snide remarks, leaving him a flustered mess. He took a deep breath, the smell of fresh coffee filling his nose. Lance grinned, pouring the coffee into a mug. He looked over to his side, looking for sugar, seeing Keith pour it into his green tea, before he gave a small smirk, dumping two cubes into Lance’s cup.

Lance’s heart stuttered, his mouth open wide, as Keith’s smile grew as he passed over the cream for Lance’s coffee, before taking a seat next to Pidge.

He let out a small shutter, pouring the cream into his coffee cup as his mind wandered. Keith knew that Lance liked cream & two sugar cubes in his coffee. Keith payed attention to what Lance likes. He _cared_ enough to pay attention to him. _Keith cares about him._

Lance stirred his coffee, his heart leaping into his throat, making it hard to breath. He cleared his throat, taking a sip before turning around and sitting by Keith’s side, his mind wandering too much and his heart doing too many backflips to notice. He leaned against the table, taking another sip.

His phone kept buzzing but he ignored each one, his eyes focused on the door and his head in the clouds.

It opened, Shiro and Hunk entering, Hunk not even noticing lance as he moved over the coffee machine.

“Morning,” Shiro stretched and yawned, his eyes soft from the morning haze, giving a small smile towards the group, but it went away quickly, his eyebrows knitting themselves together in a strain of confusion, as his eyes darted between Keith and Lance.

“Morning, Shiro,” Keith smiled shortly, returning to his conversation with Pidge. His voice snapped Lance out of his haze, his head snapping in his direction, now fully realizing that he was sitting next to Keith. He gave a sheepish smile, before turning to look over at Hunk, who was currently in coffee heaven. He bounced his leg on the ground, letting out a short breath, waiting for Hunk to snap out of it and come to Lance’s rescue.

Hunk, thankfully, moved away, his eyes trailing over to see Lance. He choked, spitting his coffee back into his cup as he coughed. Hunk cleared his throat, the amount of shock on his face was unmeasurable.

He quickly sat, pulling out his phone, typing furiously, making short glances towards Lance as he did so. He stopped typing for a second, Hunk looking up for a long moment, making a short glance to Pidge, who shook her head.

Hunk slid his phone to Lance, taking a long sip of his coffee, Pidge doing the same action, taking a long sip of her tea.

Lance hesitated, but grabbed the phone sadly, looking at an unsent text that Hunk was about to send;

 

_u do kno that ur wearing keiths hoodie, right??????_

 

 _Wearing…. Keith’s?_ lance slowly looked down towards the jacket he was wearing. It was a dark red, trimmed with black on the cuffs of the sleeves, making the effect of a paint splatter. It was so unfamiliar, Lance stared at it for a moment, bringing the hood up to his nose. _Lemongrass._

His throat closed, looking over to see that Keith wasn’t giving him the time of day, but that didn’t matter. Lance leaned back into the chair, sliding down a bit as he wrapped himself in the hoodie, the faint smell of lemongrass infiltrating his sense, making his mind go numb and his heart turn to mush.

He grabbed fidget cube from his pocket, subconsciously aware of his surroundings as more staff flooded into the room. He made conversation with Hunk, although he avoided looking up, being self-aware of the hoodie and each look he was given.

The staff meeting went by quickly, Allura giving updates and any improvements that needed to be made. Lance told Allura about how he had a slot open in the morning for classes, her response was the usual: he’ll have his morning class tomorrow or the next day, depending on how much searching Allura must do, and how much time she has to do so.

The meeting ended shortly after that, everyone shuffling over towards the dining hall, Lance being the last to leave, Keith barely inches ahead of him. Lance slipped off the hoodie, a weight being lifted off his shoulder, and yet something being lifted from his heart as well, something that made it the tiniest hole.

“Keith,” he spoke loud enough to grab his attention, Lance reaching out to pass him the hoodie, “thanks.”

Keith raised an eyebrow, a soft smirk playing on his lips. “If you want it, you can have it. It looks, uh- “His smile widened, licking his lips, “-it looks better on you anyways.”

Lance opened his mouth to say something, but closed it, retracting his arm and pulling the hoodie close to his chest. He let out a breath of a laugh, and Keith chuckled, his ears gaining a red hue before he turned around and walked down the hall at a leisurely pace.

Lance leaned against the wall, laughing in hysteria as he slipped down. His face was red and his smile was bright, and he couldn’t care less as he buried his face in the hoodie.


	6. Moments

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith isnt the best when it comes to emotions or emotional situations, never really knowing what he's feeling, but today he might just figure things out.

Keith was hiding in the bathroom, the reason was unknown, but he knew that it had something to do with the emotions bubbling in the pit of his stomach. His heart was racing, his face burning. He splashed water on himself, hoping to make the redness disappear, which, failed.

He huffed, looking at the flush on his cheeks, feeling his face to find it smoldering. Keith figured he was just getting sick, ignoring the feelings festering inside. He took a deep breath and left, regaining his composure. He did not want to dig deep and figure out what it was, the emotion simply being placed as a distraction or an abnormality.

He headed down the hallway, making his way down the cafeteria, getting in line to grab food. Keith quickly made his way through it quickly, the line being short, as the majority of people had already gotten their food.

Keith approached the window, seeing Hunk casually chatting with Lance, who had changed and showered, his hair still wet, his bangs sticking to his forehead.

Lance laughed at something that Hunk had said, although the chatter was too loud for Keith to overhear. Lance had thrown his head back, his smile bright and his dimples shown. Keith couldn’t help but give a tiny grin, letting out a breath of a chuckle, as his emotions bubbled up into his chest.

Keith suppressed the feeling, not truly sure what had brought it up, or what it was. He pushed forward in the line, trying to clear his mind, although his eyes lingered on Lance, looking him up and down, noticing the hoodie tied around his friend’s waist. It was the one that Keith had given him last night. And the one Keith let Lance keep.

“Hey Keith,”

Keith’s head snapped back towards, Hunk flashing a small smile, his throat going dry. “hey Hunk, Lance,” he gave a short nod in Lance’s direction. Turning his attention back to Hunk, hoping he did not notice his staring. He grabbed his food quickly, moving over towards the table where Pidge and Shiro sat.

“So, anything I should be aware of?” Shiro questioned, lowering his eyebrows, giving a Keith a small nudge. Keith scoffed, shoveling a bite of food in his mouth.

“Look, he fell asleep in the rec room and it gets cold in there! I gave him my hoodie- that’s all.” Keith took another bite, gaining suspicious looks from both Shiro and Pidge alike.

“So, did you get it back?” Pidge questioned, placing her phone on the table as she ate a grape, making eye contact with Keith across the table.

“Uh, no. I let him keep it,” his voice was soft and low, the gentleness in his tone pulling on his heart. Keith did not understand why, but he was slowly coming aware at each point that whatever he was feeling, it had to do with Lance. That these feelings festering beneath were _for_ Lance. “He liked it, so I just, you know, let him keep it.”

He shrugged, taking a sip of orange juice. Pidge raised her eyebrows, a mischievous smirk lighting up her face as she popped another grape into her mouth.

“And no other reasoning behind this? Hm? Nothing else? No, _emotion_ that made you, I don’t know, _like_ seeing Lance wearing your clothes? Theoretically speaking?” Pidge leaned forward, her eyes searching his, looking for any sign of discomfort.

“Cut it out Pidge,” Shiro spoke calmly, turning his attention in her direction, “if he feels anything, you know, romantically speaking, he will say when he feels comfortable to do so. Although,” Shiro trailed off, slowly turning in Keith’s direction, “if you did feel anything, I would love to know.”

Keith opened his mouth to speak, the words getting caught on his tongue. He swallowed hard before taking another bite of his food.

“Hey guys,” Hunk smiled as he slid into a seat next to Pidge, Lance not too far behind, talking to Plaxum as he walked, winking and laughing as they linked arms.

Keith flashed a small smile, returning to his meal quickly as Lance and Plaxum squeezed in at the edge of the table. Lance sat next Keith showing a tiny, awkward smile in his direction before he went back to chatting with the others.

He let his mind wander, subconsciously spooning more food in his mouth one bit at a time until it was all gone.

“Don’t you have a class, Keith,” He looked up quickly, meeting Plaxum’s gaze before shaking his head, leaning over the table and moving closer, trying to give Plaxum his attention. Lance coughed slightly, Keith eyeing him and noticing the red hue spread across his cheeks. He decided that it was best to temporarily ignore it, although his heart sank with dread knowing that being so close made Lance uncomfortable. Although, he couldn’t tell if it was the fact that he could make Lance uncomfortable, or if it was because being so close to Lance made him anxious.

He quickly dropped the subject playing through his mind and heart, and brought his attention over to Plaxum. “I don’t work on Tuesdays,” He answered bluntly, scooting away from Lance and giving him room to breathe.

“Oh! That’s cool. Me and Lance were gonna head to the pool,” Plaxum smiled lightly, her eyes softly shifting between Lance and Keith, her arm twitching slightly, causing Lance to jump. Keith raised an eyebrow, quite amused by his lack of composure.

Lance cleared his throat, his eyes connecting with Keith’s. His throat constricted and the air started to thin as Keith breathed in, the heavenly smell of grapefruit filling his nose, leaving him light headed.

“You can come with if you want,” Lance smiled sheepishly, his eyes searching Keith’s. His tongue stuck in his throat, but smiled none the less.

“Maybe. I was gonna head into town,” Keith shrugged, his nose twitching up slightly, a smile tugging at the edges of his lips, “but… that can wait. I have all day. Sure. I’ll join you guys.”

Keith nodded, his eyes tearing away from Lance’s, a nervous laugh escaping from him.

“Cool, we can meet you there, or like, wait for you,” Lance suggested, licking his lips as his lips tightened into a forced smile.

“You guys go ahead. I don’t want to keep you guys waiting.”

“Ok. We’ll still end up going in the same direction, so we’ll walk with you,” Plaxum stood, brushing off her shorts before offering her hand to Lance as he stood. He took it graciously, their hands intertwining. Plaxum gave Keith her hand as well, and he grudgingly took it, quickly allowing her hand to drop from his.

They walked together and boarded the elevator, going up towards the fifth floor, as Keith started to feel unnerved. He crossed his arms, his eyes quietly drifting across the elevator to look at Lance and Plaxum, standing there, fingers intertwined, laughing as they joked and made conversation.

His heart faltered, the lump in his throat expanding to the point that it made him feel ill. His eyes never the left the pair, the seething negativity growing the more he watched. He hated what he felt there in that moment, and he loathed what the possible emotion could mean as a result.

Keith knew what it was, he always could identify every emotion that had a negative connotation, and the feeling that made his heart sink and his blood boil could have only been one thing. Jealousy.

He was jealous of something there, but his mind was too envious to allow him to identify the reasoning. Keith tried to move his mind away from the topic, allowing himself to think about what about Lance and Plaxum that could make him feel so.

It could have been their charisma. How they went along swimmingly with little-to-no arguments and fighting. How the duo seemed to be comfortable around each other and did not make awkward small talk.

He doubted it, but it could have been the physical affection. He was not much for it, usually surprised when he was given any form of physical contact, as well as just uncomfortable with it if it was from the wrong person, but he was touch starved. Keith would love to hold hands with someone and hug them, but he would need to find a person he’s comfortable enough around to so with.

He thought about it, his mind reeling for what was less than two minutes of an elevator ride. His brain, much less his heart, letting the subject slip away. Keith battled himself to try and find the source of the jealousy, but he just could not do it, leaving Keith slightly agitated as the doors open and the group stepped out.

“See ya there,” Plaxum did a short wave, her shoulders raised slightly, a smile lighting up her face. Keith returned the gesture with a nod and a tightly wound smile, his heart squeezing from the overwhelming resentment.

He looked at Lance, who’s eyes were out of focus, his face flushed pink and a nervous smile dancing on his features. Keith felt fire rise in him, something warm and cozy that made his chest go numb. He ignored it and walked towards his room, Plaxum and Lance left to make their way towards the pool. The pool that Keith wanted to go to less and less.

He groaned, the door to his room slamming shut. He changed into a swim suit and walked towards the pool. When he entered, he was met by Plaxum, who was in her full mermaid form, and Lance, who were both already in the water, and were currently splashing each other, their laughter filling in air.

Keith snorted, dropping his towel and slipping off his flip flops, a smirk lingering on his lips. He walked over and began wading into the pool, the water was cold and refreshing, which caused him to calm down a bit.

Keith sank into the water, ducking his head underwater to get used to the cold. When his head reached the surface, he shaking head slight before swimming over to Lance and Plaxum. Plaxum dived up the water, her blue form shimmering in the light water. Keith smiled slightly, watching her do spins and back flips. She popped her head up, flashing him a quick smile before letting out a surprised yelp. She swerved around, feeding Lance a glare.

“Sorry, Plax. I was aiming for Keith,” Lance rubbed his neck sheepishly, laughing awkwardly. Keith smirked, shifting over to Plaxums’s left, using the palm to create a wave, and hit Lance in the face.

Keith licked his lips, chuckling slightly as Lance looked at him, frustration written clearly on his face.

“Like that?” Keith spoke suggestively, the playful tone catching both boys off guard. They both recovered quickly, continuing to splash each other, laughter filling the air. Plaxum giggled from across the pool, staying in her own lane and observed, shouting out words of encourage meant to both when she felt the moment was right.

Keith laughed, rubbing his eyes, trying to the water out of them, only to lose Lance. He swerved around, his eyes searching the water for any sign of Lance, only to have no avail. He blew a strand of his hair that was sticking to his forehead, confusion settling in.

A pair of arms wrapped themselves around Keith’s waist, he gasped, looking down as he was lifted above the water. He knew that it was Lance instantly, and struggled lightly against his grip. His grip was oddly gentle and soothing, almost like as if it was a hug.

Keith twisted his body around in the hold (embrace?) looking down at Lance. His head was barely above the water, the liquid splashing against his collarbone, he looked up and he pressed Keith’s body against his own, his eyes level with Keith’s chest.

“What the fuck,” Keith breathed out, his thoughts jumbling together and his heart tripping over itself. His throat closed, his breath starting to become slow and heavy as if he just lost all the air in his lungs. He was not the type of person who watched tv shows or movies, but he was a fan of books. Mostly ones about mythology and cryptids and genres that fit along those topics, but romance was sometimes thrown in, and this felt like one of those moments.

The romantic interests pulled so close together that they could hear their others heartbeat. Their eyes searching each other, looking for something, longing for something and not knowing what they might have. Emotions running so high that passion and impulse over takes the pair and they kiss and they fall in love. It looked like one of those moments. It almost felt like one of those moments. But it was not.

Keith pushed away, his mind running wild as he plopped back into the water, his face burning red and heart screaming in his ears. He gasped for air feeling relieved to have pulled away. He did not understand what was happening with him, he did not understand why he was acting so weird and envious. Keith had never been in touch with positive emotions, never truly knowing if he was happy or if he was wearing a mask and the feeling that grew from his stomach to his heart was not making things any clearer.

“Keith- “Lance reached out his hand, trying to place it on his shoulder, but retracted it. His breath was shaky, his eyes wavering as he tried to meet Keith’s. “- I’m sorry. I didn’t want to make you uncomfortable. I just got carried away. I’m sorry.”

“Its fine. What time is it?” Keith changed the subject quickly, trying to avoid the discomfort settling in as the water rolled over his shoulders.

“Ten thirty si-shit! I gotta go and shower and get ready for my class.” Lance sawm to the edge, pulling himself up from the edge, pulling Plaxum out of the pool as well. They grabbed their things and left quickly, hand in hand.

Keith felt his heart flatten as he was left alone in the pool, all that was left was him and his own devices to figure out what was wrong with him. Although, he already had a slight clue.


	7. Refuge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Allura gets a surprise call from Luxia, she scrambles as she tries to stay calm and do everything in her power to make things better.

Allura sighed as her phone range in her left pocket, meaning that it was a work call. She quickly fished it out, seeing the caller idea and noticing that it came from Queen Luxia, the queen of the Safarit Realm. Her eyebrows knitted themselves together in confusion, as Luxia was never to type to call, even if she was coming over for a simple visit to make sure her subjects were doing well. This must have been important.

“Lux- “

“Allura, this is an emergency. A village on the outer quarter of Safarit has been attacked.” Luxia’s voice cracked, the shakiness and urgency coming clear into Allura’s ear. She took in a deep breath, trying to allow her mind to take in what the queen had just told her. “Please help my people,”

“of course, your highness, please give me just a moment- “Allura lowered her ear onto the phone, fumbling through her purse to get out her clipboard and a pen. She saw Nyma enter the lobby, and her heart forced her to advance.

“Love, please take my phone and put it on speaker. This is very important.” Allura tried to keep her voice as calm and steady as possible, and considering the smile Nyma was giving her, she took it as a success. Nyma pulled the phone from under Allura’s ear, putting it onto speaker mode, just as she was told.

“Alright Luxia, how many do you estimate we are going to have to take in today,” Allura hid her amities under a professional and mature atmosphere, but her heart was rushing and her throat was dry, making the stress crush her lungs.

“The village was very small, only about 200 people had lived there, including guards, the majority of the guards have been slain, we have a nearby troop looking for more causalities, so I would say that, considering the mass amount of damages that have been reported, 150 should be maximum number you are expecting.” Luxia paused, a shaky breath rattling over the phone, “of course, not all of the mermaids would have gone to you, and might be in different villages. But be prepared for a mass number of my people who are injured and seek refuge with you.”

“What is the exact number of people located in the village. We can take a head count a report how many people are alive, as well as send names for any families that had gotten split up,” Allura pipped up, her eyes connecting with Nyma’s for a moment and seeing the concern in them caused Allura’s heart to stop.

“Yes, that would be most helpful. You have my eternal gratitude,” the line ended, Nyma’s hand falling to her side. Allura could feel her body shake, the overwhelming sense of anxiety driving her wild. She moved over towards the lobby phone, Nyma following tow, putting her arms around her girlfriend waist as Allura stopped, giving her the amount of confidence and speak.

“Altea residents, I regret to inform you that the classes for the rest of the day are canceled, as will all classes be until further notice. An attack has just recently taken place on a small village on the outskirts of Safarit. We have been told by Queen Luxia herself that her people will be coming this way for safety, and as such we will provide them with it. I would also like to call all staff to the lobby for an emergency meeting. Future announcements will be told later today as we get more information on the event that has occurred. Thank you for your time, and please try to stay as calm as possible.”

Allura hung up the phone, her posture melting away as she began shake, all of her weight being laid onto Nyma as she tried to prevent herself from having a break down. She turned around, allowing it so she could return Nyma’s embrace as the girl planted a kiss onto her forehead.

The staff had begun to arrive in the lobby, Allura still being held in Nyma’s embrace, which she ignored in her moments of weakness and stuggle. Her chest rising shakily, she looked out onto the staff, straightening her back and making herself appear taller, trying to regain he professional composure.

“Coran, how many rooms do we have available? Its estimated that we will take in around 150 people, a lot of whom know each other so its assumed people will agree to bundle comfortably.”

“We have just over 30 rooms available, which if people bunk up, should hopefully be enough.”

Allura nodded, taking notes on her clipboard, Nyma’s arms gently wrapped around her shoulder, providing her comfort. “we should take stocks on the amount of cots just in case, Rolo, if you could quickly go check in the lower storage room there’s a cot area, if you could count them that would be absolutely fantastic.

“Yes ma’am,” he gave a solemn nod before making his way down the hall.

“Shiro, I want you to assist Coran in getting everyone wheelchairs. Pidge, help Shay bring medical supplies into the dock, as well as helping her. Plaxum, I know that it’s not your speed, but please be a dear and help Hunk in the kitchen? He has to prepare more food, especially considering how drained everyone must be. Oh, Lance and Keith, I want both of you help any of the kids who had lost their parents. Everyone help out as much as you can, weather its through comfort or helping bring supplies, just do as much as you can to help these people.”

Everyone nodded, giving their utmost respect to Allura. They all dispersed, leaving just Allura and Nyma alone.

“It’s all going to be fine ‘llura. I’ll make the order as fast as possible, and I won’t be leaving your side until Rolo comes back. We are going to get through this. Together.”

Allura nodded silently, her eyes soft and her heart melting in her chest as she lowered head against Nyma’s shoulder. Nyma cooed, shushing Allura soft as she ran her hand against her hair.

And somehow Allura knew, that all of this was going to be okay.


	8. Care

Lance and Keith rushed down the hall to the access bay, Shiro and Coran leading their decent. An attack on mermaid villages was an abnormality, the event had never taken place as long as Lance had been working there. It left everyone with anxiety, and everyone tried to make it seem like everything was okay, and that nothing could go wrong. That is what everyone hoped.

The bay doors opened, the line of mermaids starting to increase as every minute passed. The majority was badly wounded, blood staining their colorful skin, fins were cut through, and some had arms missing completely.

Lance was frozen by the sight, shuddering as he tried to breath. He felt Keith shift next to him, and when he looked, the only thing on his face was anger, his eyes lighting up like a flame. It melted away quickly, replaced with concern as he placed a hand on Shiro’s shoulder, giving a strained smile, his eyes shifting down to his brother’s prosthetic. Lance saw his lips moving, but he could not hear the words, the world had faded away and all Lance could see was blood and Keith’s quivering lips.

His lungs collapsed, forcing him to take in shallow and rapid breathes. Lance was hyperventilating, his hand shot up to his heart, clutching at his shirt as he tried to exhale, tears stinging his eyes.

He saw Keith’s head turn, his eyes widening as he moved forward as Lance stumbled, almost crashing against the wall before he was caught. Keith had his arm hooked underneath Lance’s armpit, his right hand placed on his hip.

Keith brought him up, Lance’s panic attack not taking time to slow. He felt a hand touch his chin, gently moving him to look Keith in the eyes. His breathing stopped momentarily before he picked back up into hyperventilating. Keith’s hand moved to his cheek, spreading warmth into his face.

“Lance, I need you to breathe, okay? Deep breathes, just like me,” Keith opened his mouth, his chest inflating before he exhaled through his nose. After a while, Lance found his heart slowing, his breathes getting deeper, his eyes, his world, lost in Keith’s eyes.

The mysterious pigment of a purplish grey, looking almost like the midnight sky with star freckled along her skin. They were breath taking, and yet Lance could only feel his breath getting restored as he looked into them.

He felt a tear fall from his eyes, Keith’s expression changing to confusion and less of that of worry, as he whipped the tear from his cheek.

Lance regained his composure, turning his head away as he blinked the last tears from his eyes. He scrunched his nose and sniffed, Keith removed his hands away from Lance, the feeling of warmth and comfort fading away.

“sorry,” Lance mumbled under his breath, bringing his sleeve up to his eyes and rubbing them before turning his attention back to Coran and Shiro as they helped mermaids out the water.

“Don’t be. You’re just being human,” Keith respond quietly, sharing Lance a quick, fond look before moving forward to help a mermaid out of the water.

Lance advanced, moving to Coran’s side, popping open a wheelchair as they helped a woman into it.

A cry broke out into the crowd, a toddler screaming. A man swam up closer, his face crusted in blood, the toddler sobbing in his arms.

“The kid was asleep, he’s not mine. I saw him in the middle of the street and I had to save him, please. Take him,” the man spoke sincerely, his face scrunched up as the toddler screamed. Lance was frozen, his eyes stuck on the man’s blood caked face, his focused moved to the kid as Keith approached, crouching down.

“Hey there,” Keith spoke softly, slowly moving his hand to the kid’s head, rubbing it softly. “were here to help you. You’re safe here.”

He stopped crying for the moment, Keith striking his interest.

“We’ll get your family back, I promise,” a sad, gentle smile appeared on his face, and Lance felt his heart explode in his chest, seeing Keith act so soft, like he had done with Lacya. “Can I pick you up?”

The kid nodded, his eyes wide with caution as Keith gently pulled him out of the water and cradled the boy. Keith softly cooed as he moved away from the water, bouncing the kid in his arms softly.

The hour went by as quickly as possible, all of those injured being treated, and those who had made it out with no scratches were tucked away in their rooms, weeping through their losses.

Keith and Lance were the only ones in charge of kids who had been separated from their families, and they had collected 16 kids in all. It was uprising for Lance to see kids be so taken aback by grief, the kids who could comprehend the situation silently crying to themselves, and littler ones sobbing loudly and openly.

They had three toddlers in all, the boy that Keith had picked up out of the water, who said his name was Octive, and two little girls named Xale and Juni. The rest were between 12 and 9, one being 15. The group quickly began to deteriorate, the kids finding their parent quickly, tears of relief and laughter filled the air as each one got picked up. Within an hour, the group only had two kids left; Xale and Octive. The goodbye between Juni and Xale had been bittersweet, Juni leaving Xale with a kiss on her temple.

“Hungy,” Octive spoke quietly to Keith, pointing to his stomach. They boy had not let go of Keith since he got there, feeling safe and warm in his arms. Keith nodded softly, allowing Octive to pull at his cheek.

“We can get you food. Uh, Lance,” Keith looked away from the boy in his arms for a moment, meeting Lance’s eyes. “Octie is hungry.”

Lance choked, bringing his hand to his face to stifle his giggling and his blush because, _holy shit that was so cute? What the fuck._

“We can head to kitchen,” Lance spoke through his fingers, gaining a confused look from Keith. Lance ignored it, although he appreciated how pretty Keith looked when he was confused, and turned his attention over to Xale. “You want some food?”

Xale gave a short giggle and a nod as Lance got up, kneeling and letting Xale get on his back for a piggy back ride. Octive let out a huff, his arms stretched out, repeating a grabbing motion. Keith gave a tiny laugh, smiling down as he rubbed the boys head and scoped him up in his arms.

“It’s weird how you’re so good with kids,” Lance mumbled subconsciously, Xale playing with his hair as they started to walk. A smile tugged at the corner of Keith’s lips.

“I like kids. They remind me of myself,” Keith readjusted Octive, allowing him to sit on his shoulders, his hands pulling at Keith’s hair. Keith did not seem to mind as his hair was being pulled, he simply smiled and walked, his hands holding Octive’s feet so he would not slip off.

“Oh, cool,” They walked silently, the only noise that filled the air was Octive’s babbling as he patted Keith’s head. Keith would laugh sometimes when Octive tried to speak, and it made Lance’s heart flutter.

They entered the café, and the entire room was empty besides staff who were pulling in extra tables and chairs for lunch that would soon be served. They found Hunk in the kitchen, shouting out orders, going around taste testing food.

“Hey Hunk,” Lance spoke loudly, making sure to catch his attention.

“Sorry Lance, but I can’t save you from a mental break down right now. I’m having one myself.” Hunk went back to work, whipping sweat away from his forehead. Lance flushed at the comment, and Keith did not react, his face emotionless as he walked over and started looking through the cupboards until he found some fruit.

“Alright Octie, what looks good to you?” Keith smiled as the boy pointed to three fruit, pulling them onto the counter. “Lance, can you hold Octie? I don’t want him to get hurt.”

Lance nodded, carefully trying to detach the boy from Keith’s head. He fussed, his hand out reached as he tried to get Keith back. He started to cry, struggling to get out of Lance’s arms and back to Keith. Lance tried his best, bouncing and cooing at him.

Keith looked over at him, flashing a tired smile before he walked over to them.

“I’m right over there. Don’t worry, I won’t leave you. I just want to make sure you don’t get hurt,” His voice was soft as he allowed Octive to grab his index fingers. Octive huffed, his hands reaching up and grabbing on to his cheeks.

“Keeef. Mine,” Octive grumbled, pouting a little as he let his hand slip away.

Keith laughed. A whole-hearted laugh, his smile showing his teeth and his eyes closed shut. A tiny snort came out, and Octive giggled too. Lance felt his face flush, his feelings becoming ever more apparent.

Keith went back over the fruit, slicing bananas into pieces and strawberries into bits. All the while, Octive babbled, and Lance incoherently responded, his eyes glued to Keith, the way his eyebrows tightened as he cut the fruit, how his shoulder relaxed and how cute he was. Lance felt a tap on his cheeks, and he glanced over to Octive.

“Keef. Yours?” he questioned, his face twisted in emotion. Lance coughed, trying his best to hide the emotion that made his stomach twist and his heart melt.

“No,” Lance tried to sound as convincing as possible, although he had nothing that he needed to prove to this toddler. He had nothing that was worth denying. Attraction, as simple as it may be, was nothing to feel ashamed of. Lance knew that. He practically wore every ounce of attraction on his sleeve, even if he knew it would be unrequited. But there was something different about Keith, something that made his head spin and his heart tremble that made it hard to admit.

Lance found himself starring at Keith, his eyebrow tilted up with a soft smile. Something that was so soft and fond, that he had no control over. Keith looked up and moved over with two bowls of fruit. He returned a look that Lance could barely process. Keith had returned the fond look.

Lance handed Octive over to Keith, and immediately started to blush as he helped Xale eat. He tried to put his mind at ease as he tried to put all his focus on her. He was thankful that it worked, being absorbed by simple coos and spoon feeding the toddler.

“I think that’s enough,” Lance dropped the spoon into the bowl, seeing as it was almost empty, “besides, lunch is starting soon We can find your parents that way.

Xale giggled happily as Lance cleaned her face off with a towel and picked her up again, Keith doing the same process. The walked out of the kitchen as people began to file in to the dining hall, and began asking if Octive and Xale were their kids.

After a while, the line had dispersed, and both Xale and Octive had found their parents. The goodbyes were easily bittersweet, Octive giving a grander struggle, but gave in eventually. It was weird for Keith of all to people to have kids love and adore him so much, as well as Keith reciprocating the adoration. They both stood there for a while, fond looks adorning their faces, looking off at the crowd.

“You okay, Lance?” Keith suddenly pipped up, turning towards Lance, his eyebrows woven together as he moved a bit closer.

“Yep. Totally,” Lance rubbed his neck, giving an awkward laugh.

“Do you wanna hang to tomorrow? Like in town? It’s just that being here with everyone, uh, hurt like this is bringing back some not so great memories and I don’t really wanna go alone.”

Lance stared for a moment, his mind slowly processing what this was. Just hanging out. Together. In town. Alone.

His heart sped up at the thought, his mind running numb and wild. He smiled slightly, being taken aback.

“I understand if you don’t want too, you could easily be here helping everybody and- “

“No, no. I would love too. Honestly. I was just a bit surprised that it was me you wanted to hang out with.”

“I like you, Lance. Why wouldn’t I want to hang out with you?” Keith smiled softly, his words making Lance’s mind reel and his heart stop. Lance could not help but stare, trying to calm his breathing as he smiled, a blush running across his face. _I like you, Lance._

Keith gave a small wave, and walked over to Shiro, leaving Lance a flustered mess. And Lance simply adored how Keith could make him melt.


	9. The Meadow

“You ready to go?” Keith said, smirking slightly as Lance adjusted himself on the back of his motorcycle. Lance cautiously snaked his arms around his waist, moving in closer as his heart screamed in his ears. He had no idea how Keith talked him into riding on his bike. Maybe it was because he smiled so fondly and his eyebrows knitted together in the cute way that they do. Lance did not mind much, although the fact that he wanted to scream the minute he sat down would say otherwise, it allowed him to snuggle against Keith with valid reasoning.

“Just don’t kill me, alright?” Keith laughed, the engine roaring full blast and Lance felt his anxieties creep up inside of him, his grip on Keith increasing, “I’m gonna die.”

Keith laughed as he drove out of the parking lot and down the road, the motorcycle revving. Lance took in a deep breath, peaking his head over Keith’s shoulder as he drove, his eyes glued to the road ahead, nerves creeping in on the back of his throat. The wind was harsh against his clothes, his jacket slipping off his shoulders as Keith continued to drive.

Lance chewed on his lips, his body relaxing as he leaned against Keith’s back, looking out into the country side- watching as they passed small meadows and the ocean melted away. The skyline of the city spilling over the horizon as Keith moved away from it, heading down a dirt path, his speed increasing by the minute.

Lance felt his heart squeeze in his chest, his arms tightening around Keith’s waist because of the acceleration and the realization dawned onto him; he had no idea where Keith was taking him. Lance assumed he was going to die.

He peered over Keith’s shoulder once more, looking around as Keith followed the dirt path into a forest, swerving around trees and other shrubs, Lance taking in a sharp breath at each sharp, quick term. He turned his attention forward, the engine roaring as Keith sped up, Lance almost screamed as he understood what Keith was doing. He was going to drive off a jump.

“No, no, no, no, no! Keith! Don’t!” Lance screeched, shoving his body closer to Keith as fear took over his body. he tried to control his breathing, his eyes stuck on the large hill in front of them, a scream bubbling into Lance’s throat.

The motorcycle flew into the air, Lance screamed all the way down until it landed, Keith swerving the bike to a halt. He laughed as he took off his helmet, tossing it into the dirt. He looked back and smirked, shaking Lance’s hand off of his waist and standing.

“What the hell, Keith!” Lance shouted. He pouted at he stumbled off the bike, screaming as he tripped and fell. Keith gave a small laugh, kicking out the stand on his motorcycle before offering Lance his hand. Lance grumbled as he took it, looking out to find them in a secluded meadow, a forest surrounding either side. He let out a short gasp, taking in the scenery. He heard Keith cough, which brought Lance’s attention back to the world. He was with Keith. Alone. No one else in sight, in one of the most beautiful places he had ever been. and he was holding Keith’s hand.

He instantly retracted it, apologizes stumbling out of his mouth as he blushed, his mind reeling at the naturality of holding his hand. Keith laughed, which did not help Lance one bit, his heart melting at the sound.

“Uh, Lance. About what I had said yesterday. I just wanted to make sure that you had the proper meaning of it. I guess,” Keith scratched his neck as walked into the grass plopping down. Lance followed in suit, carefully sitting beside him, his mind instantly understanding his words. _I like you, Lance._

“No man, I get it. I know that it was completely platonic,” Lance let out an awkward laugh, his back softly falling into the grass. He frowned slightly, but swiftly smiled again, ignoring the shattering of every ounce of hope that was still left in his heart.

Keith mumbled something, his head turning to the left, his ears turning a pinkish hue.

“Sorry, I couldn’t hear you,”

“I uh, actually meant it in the- oh god. I meant it in the romantic kind of way, ya know?” Keith turned to his, his face turning red as his eyes darted around. He was chewing his bottom lip, the vulnerability and he fear clearly shown. Lance’s heart stopped, his lungs collapsed against his chest a he sat up, his body shooting forward, his eyes meeting Keith’s as he placed his hand onto his knee.

“I love you,” Lance’s mind went numb as the words fell out of his mouth and out into the world. His heart was racing as he searched Keith’s eye, looking for validation.

Keith brought his hand up to Lance’s cheek, caressing it as he leaned in, pressing his lips against his, giving a small and simple kiss, quickly pulling away. Lance let out a small laugh of hysteria, his mind racing.

“You know, if you had said something different, I probably would have abandoned you right here.” Keith chuckled slightly, collapsing into the grass, a small huff letting out of his chest.

“Sure, you would have,” Lance laughed, slipping his hand into Keith’s as their fingers intertwined and he laid down next to him, “because your _just_ that cold hearted.”

**Author's Note:**

> i know the description isnt good????? but,,,,,, i hope u enjoyed this bc i did??????? i love this ?????? so much?????? im deceased


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